Job applicants have multiple channels through which they can learn about job positions. Common examples include online job listings, newspaper adverts, and word of mouth. Regardless of how an applicant learns about a job, one key element of job announcements is a job description. This document helps the reader understand the position, what it entails, and whether they qualify so, they can apply.
Creating an effective description can take up a lot of your time unless you have a Job Description Template. Below, we look at what this is and how to create one while answering some frequently asked questions about job descriptions.
What Is a Job Description?
A job description is a detailed document that highlights the main features of a job position. It identifies the applicant’s expected qualifications, responsibilities, duties, compensation, and working conditions. Additionally, it identifies the job title, how it ties into the company’s mission, and the supervisor to whom a successful applicant will report.
What Is a Job Description Template?
A job description template is a customizable, reusable format document that you can use to record the requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills associated with a certain job. You create it by retaining the fields that apply to all jobs, e.g., company mission, company name, etc., and leaving blank fillable fields for the relative sections, e.g., applicant’s name, job title.
What Is the Importance of Job Descriptions?
Job descriptions help both parties involved in the employment process – the candidate and the employer – streamline the application process. Here is how:
1. Simplified Search
About 73 percent of job seekers are passively or actively employed. This can make job hunting a very time-consuming activity, especially when you have to maintain your current job. Fortunately, job descriptions are clear about what the employer is looking for, so you don’t waste time on a position that doesn’t meet your expectations.
2. Candidate Attraction
A compelling job description can help an employer attract highly qualified candidates. The ability to post descriptions on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn also increases your reachability.
3. Interview Preparation
Because job descriptions tell the candidate everything they need to know about a job, they can help them better prepare for the interview. This also applies to interviewers.
4. Established Expectations
An employer can use a job description to set their expectations for prospective applicants. This way, candidates will know what is expected of them and will apply if they are qualified. This saves both parties a ton of time that would have otherwise been spent on endless interviews.
5. Great First Impression
A well-crafted job description will help create the first impression for your company that will shape how applicants respond to your listing. Grammatical errors, for example, can turn away qualified candidates.
6. Set Baseline
If an applicant is hired, the job description they received can be used as a baseline to track their performance during performance reviews.
How to Create a Job Description Template
A Job Description Template is effective if it outlines everything a candidate should know about a given position. The document should be concise yet thorough enough that nothing is left to interpretation. If you have never created one before, here is a detailed guide:
Step 1: Supply the Job Title
Create a placeholder with ‘Job Title’ typed in bold and indicate the formal job position name in common language. Remember to translate the position into traditional titles if your company uses customized titles. Under this, create a ‘Reports to’ heading and enter a sentence stating who the role answers to.
Step 2: Outline the Job Description
Under “Job Overview,” leave space to explain the position and how it plays into the company’s mission. Consider creating a skeleton description from which you can tailor the message depending on the job.
Step 3: Identify the Roles
Write a bold “Responsibilities and Duties” heading and leave a maximum of 10 bullet points to describe the applicant’s duties and responsibilities.
Step 4: Supply the Requirements
Under a bold “Qualifications” heading, leave 5 to 10 bullet points to hold the requirements for the job. The list should include items like skills, education, and experience.
Step 5: Write Your Company’s Mission
Write down your company’s mission, vision, and culture, and leave the details in your template as they are constant. The goal is to tell the reader why they should want to work with you.
Step 6: Describe the Compensation
In the last section, indicate the benefits and salary range. Because the range will depend on the position, don’t leave it on your template. The benefits can remain if they are constant for all employees.
Step 7: Save Your Template
Save the template using a clear title in a folder only authorized personnel can access.
Job Description Template
{Job Title}
Enter a formal job title.
{Reports to}
The {job title} reports to {job title of the supervisor}.
Job Outline
In four sentences, describe the position, what it entails, and how it ties into the company’s mission.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Here, you should outline all the duties the applicant will be expected to perform. The list should:
- Be written in complete sentences
- Follow the order of importance
- Contain sentences that start with verbs
- Be written in gender-neutral language
- Be written in the present tense.
Qualifications
Explain what qualifications the applicant must-have for this job. Your list should include:
- Experience level
- Education level
- Personal attributes
- Specific skills
- Licenses (if applicable)
- Certifications
- Physical abilities
Compensation
Describe the salary, overtime, benefits, vacation days, etc.
Job Description Templates & Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main purpose of a job description?
Job descriptions are primarily prepared to advertise an open position in a company. They do this by providing candidates with a job summary that identifies duties, qualifications, and compensation.
How long should a good job description be?
An effective job description should be between 300 and 700 words. A longer description could be difficult to scan quickly, and a shorter one may not be detailed enough.
How can I improve my job description?
You can improve the efficiency of your description by tying in expectations to different levels of the job, i.e., after the first 30, 90, or 100 days.
What are job description duties and responsibilities?
The duties and responsibilities portion of your job description outline what the applicant will do in their position, what qualities they must have to succeed, and to whom they must report.
Final Thoughts
The recruiting process is built on job descriptions and their dissemination. A well-completed Job Description will help set the expectations for a given job and tell interested applicants everything they need to know to apply. What’s more, once you create your own Job Description Template, you won’t have to prepare the document from scratch every time.
